brysonhaden-blog-blog

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The couch and a changed perspective.

I don’t like our couch. It’s old, lumpy, and the cushions shift with the slightest movement of one’s body. I don’t even like the look of the couch. Recently, I have made my opinion on the couch known to my wife on multiple occasions. I have grumbled, refused to sit on it, and sworn to purchase something that would provide me more comfort. This has become a common complaint at home because I have felt justified in my displeasure with the lousy couch.

While in North Carolina for Hurricane Helene I have been convicted about the couch. First I missed the couch, well maybe not the couch but what it represents … home. Also, I have worked around many people who don’t have a home but would be most grateful for a lumpy, lousy, couch like mine.

The conviction is calling for a change in my perspective. Changing my perspective does not fix the couch but it should move my attitude from grumbling to grateful.

It seems that I get so comfortable with being comfortable that I feel entitled to what facilitates my comfort. Truthfully, if we stopped to consider the difference in our discomfort with the pleasures of life and other’s desperate needs of bare essentials maybe we would all focus more on being content and less on complaining. I am blessed with a roof over my head while folks within our own country sleep in tents, in a borrowed room, or a shelter. God reminded me this week that we should always be grateful, never be greedy, and be cheerful givers too! As I am almost home from my second trip to North Carolina to assist with disaster relief efforts I can’t help but think of how great it will feel to hug my family and plop down on the couch of my conviction.. By the way, does anybody need a couch?

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬ ‭

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https://youtube.com/shorts/vWjBHB4NfvU?si=la6VHo9o38I_aNLJ

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Go check this one out!!

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Life is defined by our chosen perspective

Life is full of twists and turns and bumps and hills.. Often when we discuss life we tend to gravitate towards those trying, tough, hard, and desperate times.. as we tell our story we talk of survival, perseverance, overcoming, and deliverance.. Why do you think we go there? Is it because we have more of this experiences than others? Could it be that the negatives have impacted us more? What if it’s based on what resonates with others? We all have struggled and we all have been in the valley and so we find agreement and camaraderie in the trials and battles. Dare I direct our hearts toward life’s other side.. ?

Recently, my Jess and our two younger children, Jasper, (17) and Jaycie (16) traveled to Hot Springs for a basketball game. We decided to leave early because we could go downtown and walk around to enjoy the beauty, history, and peacefulness that is special to us. While walking around enamored and excited about the cool, fall, evening we encountered two different street musicians .. one with a guitar and a vulgar quote taped to his mic stand and the other playing trumpet poorly while sitting on a bench. They were a mere few hundred feet apart.. I noticed that many who passed the guitar guy were reading the vulgar quote.. they would laugh or smile and give change or a few $1 bills.. then, just as many, would raise eyebrows at the poorly played trumpet guy and walk on by.. Did you notice what I didn’t comment on at all, so far? The guitar guy’s playing…! That because I never heard him play! He was just standing there… but because he made people laugh or smile he was receiving far more positive attention. The guy on the bench, attempting to play a trumpet was not connecting with hearts.. he was annoying ears. My family passed the guitarist and my kids nor wife even acknowledged his existence. I’m sure they saw him and read his quote, but they chose to avoid the trap. As we approached the trumpeter I saw facial expressions change and quickly force themselves expressionless as they walked by. Then we all stopped and Jess reached for her purse… I was feeling the same thing and so I reached out and took the money she had pulled from her wallet, I trotted back down to the trumpeter and dropped the cash in his trumpet case.. He paused mid song and said “Thank ya” I smiled and said “No, thank you!”

You see my kids and wife had chosen what to give their attention too.. they chose to invest in poorly done good rather than better done bad. Satan knows how to keep us connecting to bad. He presents it and we connect with it. God had given us plenty of positive, good, inspiring, life to talk about, focus on, and even glorify Him for.. but truly we can just choose to focus on what is best for our souls and minds. Even if the presentation isn’t as pretty as Satan’s deception!

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“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭19:14‬ ‭. This verse is a response... a response to a spiritually impactful realization. That realization begins in the first verse of chapter 19. “ The heavens declare the glory of God” and it gets deeper in verse 7 “The law of the Lord is perfect”. The Psalmist, David proclaims that God’s power, beauty, and existence are proven through His creation.. and His Word gives us a deeper, stronger, and clearer description of who He is, how He loves, and what we should be in return. David responds to the fact, that God is real, and His Word is true with verse 14...Lord, make everything about me... my thoughts, my words, my actions, my desires, my focus, my life a sacrificially, acceptable, to the you Lord.. my creator, my redeemer, my hiding place, my strength, and my everything! How about me? What is my response to Him? https://www.instagram.com/p/CQn2oHqLDRS8C6s8TtBwzeNr9Hq00gDC_VHMsI0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Drinking from my new coffee cup.. Skylar brought me this one from his trip. I like it but I’m glad he is home even more https://www.instagram.com/p/CQlYoIrrHZXyOjvmN3jncE2eO4VoUYCTjriJNc0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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“More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭19:10‬ ‭#moredesirablethanfinegold #sweeterthaneventhehoneycomb #godswordistrue https://www.instagram.com/p/CQi-4EXNADtLfcsA4wh8CbY0r2SQIKaWfkbic00/?utm_medium=tumblr

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God is still God on Monday! Mondays are not bad 24 hour periods.. humans make Mondays what Mondays are. The day, itself is a glorious blessing, and we are only hours removed from worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ! Monday is opportunity to live out the Christ that is within you through grace and faith.Have a Monday focused on the glory of God and I guarantee it will be amazing! “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭18:30‬ ‭ https://www.instagram.com/p/CQYhpNTtj29DAb4m2HorvIkvrh2XoWSzgDyAYk0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Great Father’s Day. Family and friends went Disc Golfing after church and had a wonderful time. I am blessed #moccasinbenddiscgolf #countryliving. #father’sday #hotandhumid https://www.instagram.com/p/CQXLPM6tkIDr5fAzsSJCH-8uX6mOmnwr3G_3Vw0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Providence has given to our people the choice of their ruler, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. John Jay First Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.- John Jay. #iloveamerica #foundingfathersquotes #biblicallyfounded #godshedhisgraceonthee #merica🇺🇸 #longmayshewave https://www.instagram.com/p/CQSVx56t4qseJ73Qm1eNDcQI7DMUkfr3fXFeJk0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭118:24‬ ‭. The best way to show your gratitude to God for the day He has given you... is to give it back to Him! Join us today at Springhill Baptist Church.. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQEAhLvNWfb6vBw4hGjLs9aLPrIgu5r8WeJXFM0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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When obstacles arise... when troubles come... even when persecution moves against God’s people.. Our prayer should be ... Lord, give us boldness to speak thy Word! https://www.instagram.com/p/CQBLkaeN55nNO7WrfwG9p057gKEVlLte18xUGQ0/?utm_medium=tumblr